Telecommunications equipment can generate a significant amount of heat and require large volumes of air for cooling. Due to limited space in telecommunication facilities, telecommunications equipment is typically stacked within cabinets that are aligned side-by-side. As can be understood, dissipation of heat generated by the equipment is critical to maintaining proper operation of the equipment. Many cabinets that house heat-generating equipment are therefore constructed with air circulation in mind, and accordingly have framework arrangements that are structurally less than robust. While these arrangements may address cooling requirements, they are not suitable for use in areas that experience seismic events.
Framework arrangements constructed to withstand seismic events, on the other hand, typically have four robust corner posts that act as main load-bearing structures. The robust 4-post arrangements, however, interfere with cool-air intake and heated-air exhaust necessary to maintaining proper equipment operations, especially for equipment with internal side-to-side air circulation.
Improvement of equipment structures to provide a more robust structural construction that withstands certain seismic events and that still manages thermal cooling requirements is needed.